A few weeks ago, on February 5th and 6th, a monster snowstorm dumped over two feet of snow on Atlantic City, bringing much of the city to a standstill. The storm forced Star Boxing's exciting event at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, to be postponed until Saturday March 6th. Although the storm was unfortunate, the majority of the card, including both the main event and co-feature bouts of the evening as well as almost the entire undercard, which feature many of the New Jersey area's up and coming talent, remain intact for the March 6th date.

Headlining the card is Atlantic City's own former top rated contender, Shamone "The Truth" Alvarez (20-2, 11KO) taking on Lou Duva trained knockout artist, Alexis Camacho (17-2, 16KO) in a ten round welterweight showdown. In the co-feature bout of the evening, fan favorite, Vinny Maddalone (32-6, 23KO) will look to turn in one of his classic warrior-like performances when he squares off against Dominique Alexander (19-7-1, 9KO), in an exciting heavyweight matchup.

"It was an unfortunate circumstance that we had to postpone the show in February," stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. "Fortunately though, we were able to lock in the March 6th date at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, and the card has basically stayed the exact same as it originally was. I applaud the fighters for maintaining their focus and handling the postponement like the true professionals they are.

The card, promoted by Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and sponsored by Larry Flynt's Hustler Club, will be broadcast live on GoFightLive.tv . Tickets are priced at $100 (ringside), $50 and $30. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Star Boxing office at (718) 823-2000 or visiting www.starboxing.com. Tickets may also be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet, www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Tropicana North Tower Box Office. The Tropicana Casino and Resort is located at 2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ and can be contacted by calling (609) 340-4000.

ABOUT STAR BOXING:

Star Boxing, Inc. has been in operation since 1992. Star Boxing has worked to produce some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star has continued to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit the official website at www.starboxing.com.

De La Hoya Joins Team To Bring FIFA World Cup To U.S.

NEW YORK (March 1, 2010) - Boxer Oscar De La Hoya - who won 10 different world titles spanning six different weight categories, as well as a 1992 Olympic gold medal - has formally accepted an invitation to join the Board of Directors for the USA Bid Committee in its effort to bring the FIFA World Cup™ to the United States in 2018 or 2022.

Since retiring from boxing in 2009, De La Hoya has taken his business and philanthropic activities to new heights with the focus of improving the quality of life in Hispanic communities in his native Los Angeles and across the country. De La Hoya founded Golden Boy Enterprises in 1999 and has since invested in several Spanish-language newspapers in major markets across the country, a variety of consumer products, a publishing group featuring leading boxing publications and various urban development projects in Latino communities. In 2008, De La Hoya became part-owner of the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

"Oscar is known around the world as a champion boxer, but he's an equally impressive champion for Hispanic issues across our nation," said Sunil Gulati, the Chairman of the USA Bid Committee and President of U.S. Soccer. "In addition to his honorable philanthropic endeavors, Oscar is a passionate soccer fan who is contributing to the growth of the sport in this country with his involvement in MLS and the Dynamo. We are thrilled to have him as part of the USA Bid, as we continue to make our case."

Founded in 1995, the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation is bringing a better quality of life to thousands of East Los Angeles residents annually. Today the foundation and its staff support the Cecilia Gonzales De La Hoya Cancer Center and the Oscar De La Hoya Children's Medical Center, both located at the White Memorial Hospital, and the Oscar De La Hoya High School, which received a $3.5 million donation from De La Hoya in 2008.

"Thanks to boxing, I've experienced first-hand how sports can promote tolerance, equality, and social integration while allowing people to realize their biggest dreams," said De La Hoya. "Boxing provided me the opportunity to travel the world and through those travels I can attest to the worldwide popularity of football and its power to be a positive force for social change. Being able to join the USA Bid Committee in our mission to bring the World Cup back to the U.S. is an honor."

A native of Los Angeles, De La Hoya established Golden Boy Promotions in 2001, the first national boxing promotional company owned by a Hispanic. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing's most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, TeleFutura and ESPN.

De La Hoya announced his retirement from professional boxing on April 14, 2009, concluding his 16-year pro career with a record of 39-6 including 30 knockouts. Competing in six different weight classes during the course of his career, "The Golden Boy" defeated 17 world champions and captured 10 world titles. De La Hoya was a decorated amateur boxer as well, recording a record of 223-6 with 163 knockouts that concluded with his gold medal victory for the USA at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992. Named the top-rated Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world by Ring Magazine in 1997, De La Hoya was named to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2008.

The multi-talented De La Hoya released a Grammy-nominated, self-titled CD with tracks in both English and Spanish in 2000 and authorized a children's picture book titled Super Oscar, written in both English and Spanish, that won the 2007 Latino Book Awards Best Bilingual Children's Picture Book of the Year. De La Hoya published his autobiography, American Son, in 2008.

The United States, Australia, England, Japan and Russia have formally declared their desire to host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022. Netherlands-Belgium and Portugal-Spain have each submitted joint bids for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, while Indonesia, Qatar and South Korea have applied as candidates to play host only to the tournament in 2022. Mexico withdrew its bid in September. Following that announcement, CONCACAF issued a public endorsement for the United States bid in November that pledged the full support of soccer's governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

All candidates must have their bid applications to FIFA by May 14, 2010. FIFA's 24-member Executive Committee will study the bids, conduct site visits and name the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments on December 2, 2010, completing a 21-month bid and review process.

De La Hoya joins the Board of Directors of the USA Bid Committee that recently welcomed Academy Award-nominated director Spike Lee, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, ESPN Executive Vice President for Content John Skipper, Washington Post CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth, Walt Disney Company President and CEO Robert Iger, comedian and Seattle Sounders FC part-owner Drew Carey, MLS founding investor Philip Anschutz, Univision CEO Joe Uva, New England Revolution and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, U.S. Soccer Foundation President Ed Foster-Simeon, University of Miami President Donna Shalala, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, U.S. National Team icons Landon Donovan and Mia Hamm, and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger.

The USA Bid Committee's efforts have earned the enthusiastic support of President Barack Obama, who in April 2009 reached out to FIFA - the world's governing body of soccer - to endorse the goal of bringing the world's largest sporting event back to the United States. In a letter to FIFA President Joseph "Sepp" Blatter and U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, President Obama noted the role soccer played in his life as a youth, and its ability to unite people, communities and nations from every continent.

On Monday, July 27, 2009, Obama and Blatter met at the White House to discuss the U.S. bid and other soccer-related topics. The meeting was marked by Blatter confirming his invitation for President Obama to be his guest at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa. President Obama has expressed his interest in attending the event pending availability on his schedule.

Last October, the USA Bid Committee released a study conducted by an independent consulting firm that estimates a conservative domestic economic impact of five billion dollars if the United States is chosen to host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022. The findings of the study indicate that the total economic impact projected for any one host city ranges from approximately $400 million to $600 million at today's dollar value.

Goossen Tutor Promotions Signs Sergey Karpenko

In their continued drive to building and bringing the best and most exciting boxing stable to the public — heavily populated with world heavyweight title caliber pedigree – it was announced today Goossen Tutor Promotions has signed Ukrainian heavyweight Sergey Karpenko.

“American sports fans have, and always will be looking for that next great heavyweight, no matter where he’s from, as long as they bring excitement and punching power inside the ring,” noted promoter Dan Goossen.

“Being the amateur standout he was, we believe ‘SK’ will provide that same heavyweight excitement in the pros and we’re anxious to let the fans get their first look at him to see for themselves.”

Karpenko will make his pro debut on Goossen Tutor’s March 5th boxing event at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, CA.

Born in the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, the 24-year old Karpenko is a strapping 6-4, 232-pound orthodox-style heavyweight who is currently living in and fighting out of Big Bear, CA. Prior to coming to America, Karpenko compiled an impressive 80-15 record as an amateur in a career — begun at age 13 — which saw him become a three-time Ukrainian National Champion and 2003 World Junior Champion.

“I am very excited for my first fight,” Karpenko, who faces Alvaro Morales (3-6-5, Las Vegas, NV), acknowledged. “I’ve a great team around me in my managers Ivaylo Gotzev and Les Cohen, promoter Dan Goossen and trainer Abel Sanchez. I want to go all the way to the top and I can’t wait to step in a professional ring at Pechanga on the 5th.”

“Goossen Tutor and my management group have a very common goal in boxing and that is to always be around top heavyweights,” Ivaylo Gotzev, Karpenko’s co-manager stated. “And Goossen Tutor has proved to me they know how to move heavyweights and provide them with big opportunities. They’ve got (Eddie) Chambers going to fight for a world title. Before that there was Chris Arreola. And before that there was Tony Thompson. There were many promoters interested worldwide, but I believe that with Karpenko signing with Goossen Tutor, it’s the best move and that we’ll go to the top together.”

McGuinness To Step Up His Competition

TORONTO, ON – (Monday, March 1, 2010 Considered by many to be Canada’s top boxing prospect, Orangeville, Ontario’s Logan Cotton McGuinness (9-0, 4 KO’s) is about to take a major step forward in his young career this Saturday at the Casino De Montreal.

Not only is Canada’s top lightweight stepping up his competition by facing Mexican warhorse Pedro Navarrete (24-6-3, 13 KO’s), but he’ll do it as a lean, mean, and far stronger junior lightweight.

“Logan has been making 135 lbs. almost too easily,” said his promoter, Adam Harris, MD of Hennessy Sports Canada.

“We think he can make 130 on a controlled schedule, and emerge as a very, very dangerous 130 lb. fighter, without compromising any of the qualities that have already made him the best in the country at 135 lbs.”

He’ll need all that strength and more against Navarrete, who has proven himself to be not only durable, but flat-out dangerous.

In June of 2006 he flew to Japan and went 10 spirited rounds with Jorge Linares, then considered the world’s top boxing prospect, en route to a hard-fought unanimous decision loss.

In his last fight, this past January, Navarrete halted a two-fight losing skid in violent fashion, demolishing Adrian Tellez in the seventh round to set up his test against McGuinness.

“Navarrete is by far the toughest fighter I’ve ever had to face,” said the 22 year-old McGuinness.

“Not only has this guy been in there with some of the best in the world, but he’s shown he’s more than just a guy who can go rounds. This guy steps into the ring to win every time out. And win big.”

“A win over a guy like Navarrete will show the world that I’m one of the best young fighters out there.”

Trainer Chris Johnson – the man who honed Steve Molitor into one of the best Junior Featherweights in the world – sees nothing but great things ahead for his young protégée.

“It’s rare that you have a guy as gifted as Logan, but at the same time, so eager to learn. I tell this kid something once, and it’s like he’s been doing it all along.”

“That’s why when you look at Logan’s career, you see such eye-popping improvement every time out. To the point where, in just his tenth pro fight, he’s more than ready to face a quality thirty-three fight veteran like Navarrete.”

Also appearing on the card will be Hennessy Sports’ newest signing, all-action welterweight Samuel Vargas (1-0, 1 KO)

“This kid is a promoter’s dream,” said Harris.

“He puts on thrilling fights. But not only does he start wars, he finishes them too.”

Dirrell Honored To Be Fighting Abraham In Detroit

(LAS VEGAS, NEV.) – Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell (Flint, Mich.) (18-1, 13 KOs) will make his long-awaited Detroit debut on Saturday, March 27 in a super middleweight clash with former middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (Berlin, Germany) (31-0, 25 KOs) at Joe Louis Arena. The fight will kick off the second round of the SHOWTIME Super Six Super Middleweight tournament, and be broadcast live to millions on SHOWTIME. After traveling to enemy territory for his opening bout of the tournament against WBC Champion Carl Froch, Dirrell will enjoy the chance to compete in front of his hometown fans in his fight with Abraham. The 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and Michigan native plans to give Detroit residents a reason to celebrate following a difficult few years in the area which has been hard hit by the economic recession.

“It’s an honor to be able to bring an event this big to Michigan and to have the chance to fight so close to my hometown of Flint,” Dirrell said. “I plan to make the most of it and put on a show for the fans that come out to Joe Louis Arena.”

Dirrell has fought once in the state of Michigan as a professional, winning a third round TKO over Cullen Rogers in Flint in his 10th fight. Yet the March 27th bout will mark Dirrell’s first professional fight in Detroit, a city that boasts a tremendous boxing heritage, going back to the days of Thomas Hearns and the legendary Kronk Gym.

The fight with Abraham was originally scheduled to take place on March 6, but a back injury Dirrell sustained in training camp forced a three-week postponement to March 27. Dirrell has recommenced his training camp with his team in Las Vegas, and plans to take the ring at 100% when he faces Abraham at Joe Louis Arena

The 26-year-old is looking to bounce back from a controversial split decision loss to Froch in his hometown in the tournament opener, and believes the sting of that disputed defeat will fuel him his bout with Abraham. “The decision obviously still bothers me, but I plan to use that to push me in my next fight,” Dirrell said. “I have moved on, and the world will see that when I step into the ring in Detroit.”

Abraham enjoyed a different experience in his tournament opener with Jermain Taylor, winning a devastating final round knockout. Abraham currently leads the tournament standings with three points, but Dirrell plans to tighten the race with a victory over Abraham in front of his hometown faithful.

Tickets for the Andre Dirrell – Arthur Abraham fight are affordably priced, starting at only $25 and will go on sale on March 6 . The event, which will showcase several Detroit-area fighters, including Ronald Hearns, son of the legendary Thomas Hearns, will begin at 7:30 p.m., at Joe Louis Arena, with the main event scheduled to take place at approximately 10:30 p.m.

To catch all of the behind-the-scenes action of the Andre Dirrell – Arthur Abraham fight, watch the fourth episode of Fight Camp 360, at http://sports.sho.com/browse/video-portal.html?id=68949079001.

Steve Forbes Returns This Saturday

Former title contender Steve Forbes (34-7 10KOs) returns to action against Harrison Cuello (18-12-3 14KOs) in a ten round junior welterweight bout this Saturday, March 6 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. The bout will take place on the undercard to the junior welterweight HBO televised title clash between Devon Alexander and Juan Urango.

Joan Guzman Update

Joan Guzman has arrived in Manchester and will team up with new trainer Lee Beard to prepare for his upcoming rematch against Ali Funeka. The bout, which will be for the vacant IBF lightweight title, will take place on March 27 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

Bellew Wants Brahmer

Heavy-handed Tony "Bomber" Bellew has promised to turn into a modern day Dambuster - and KO German bad-boy Juergen Braehmer. Bellew challenges for his first title on March 12 at the Liverpool Echo Arena, against undefeated Ghanaian Atoli Moore live on Sky Sports 1. The Commonwealth light-heavyweight title is on the line - the same belt that his hero John Conteh once held - and the scouser is hoping to gatecrash into the WBO top 10 with victory in the fight. That's because the unbeaten 27-year-old has already got his sights set on WBO champion Braehmer.

The southpaw has already planned a reconnaissance mission for April 24 in Hamburg when Braehmer defends his title against Mariano Nicolas Plotinsky when he will be ringside.

But his ultimate goal is to share a ring with Braehmer within 18 months.

"I want to shoot down Braehmer by the end of 2011," stormed Bellew.

"If I get him it will be like Dambusters all over again.

"I'm just like a Lancaster Bomber, I'm a classic fighter like the old days - just like John Conteh. Braehmer will get well and truly blown out of the water.

"It would be a great shoot out because Braehmer's got a fantastic KO record and looks like a decent puncher.

"But I want to test myself against the best and Braehmer's would be a great test."

Tickets for 'The Pride of Merseyside' are priced at £40, £50, £100, £150 and £200 and are available from:

Liverpool Echo Arena Box Office
0844 8000 400
www.echoarena.com

See Tickets
0871 2200 260
www.seetickets.com

Pacquiao, Roach Conference Call Transcript


Photo: David Sanchez II / R&D Boxing Blog

BOB ARUM: Manny Pacquiao is having a great training camp, as Freddie will tell you. There is excitement is Dallas. We have less than 8,000 tickets to go and I am fully confident we will have a sellout for the fight. It is very exciting for us and it should be a great, great show.

FREDDIE ROACH: Manny Pacquiao is in great shape. We boxed 11 rounds yesterday with four different sparring partners. He is looking really good and he’s got the game plan in place. We were so sharp yesterday I almost wanted to give him a day off but Manny won’t take a day off..

We’ll spar 12 rounds on Saturday. That will be our peak day and we will taper off from there and we are heading to Dallas after training on Monday the 8th.

Manny is getting better all the time and he still wants to improve. We are getting better at making the moves. We have watched a lot of tape on Clottey. We know his characteristics, we know his mistakes and we know his habits. I do feel that the way Manny Pacquiao is training for this fight, the game plan and how to beat Clottey is in place. I know Clottey is a big strong guy and a great fighter and we respect him and he’s a real tough guy but with many Pacquiao I feel that he’s going to overwhelm him with his speed and his combinations and I do believe he will be the first person to stop him before the 12th round.

MANNY PACQUIAO: I am good; I’m just finishing jogging and sit-ups. Training camp is good and yesterday we sparred 11 rounds then I hit the bag a couple of rounds. Everything is great. I know Clottey is taller and bigger than me. I know I can’t underestimate him because his is a former world champion also.

Fallout from Mayweather negotiations - anger?

FREDDIE ROACH: We are not happy with his [Floyd Mayweather Jr.] remarks. Manny wants to fight him in the future because of the remarks he made. Sometimes when Manny is shadowboxing, he will show me how Mayweather fights and how he will take care of the problem. I’ve never seen many do that before. He was trying to ruin our reputation with those allegations but we do want to fight him and we do want to knock him out.

BOB ARUM: We will knock him out in court also. That lawsuit continues on and justice will prevail.

What would you like to do better in this fight than the last?

FREDDIE ROACH: Don’t want to be on the ropes as much as we were in the Cotto fight. Clottey is very effective on the ropes and will throw uppercuts from that position. We are working on not being there when he is trying to counter-punch. Clottey likes to lay on the ropes and counter when we are finished a combination, but we’re not going to be there – he’s not going to find us.

How much has Freddie Roach meant to your success and improvement?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Freddie Roach is very important to me in how he started with me when I began in the States. I think because our chemistry and we are very coordinated during our training. Freddie Roach is a very good trainer.

What has Bob Arum meant to your career?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Bob has helped me a lot especially promoting the last four or five fights. Because of him my career has been very good. He helped me a lot and has been very important. Bob officially negotiates my fights and chooses opponents and finds good opponents. I trust him and he’s a fine promoter.

FREDDIE ROACH: Bob has a lot of history and has a lot experience of course. He knows how to make a fight. He knows how to build a fight up. He knows how to do his job and he has a great staff. He has great matchmakers that will put the right styles together. That’s why this fight is going to be so great and compelling because of the styles. This is going to be a fight of the year type fight for sure.

Would you consider him the greatest promoter in the history of boxing?

FREDDIE ROACH: Yes I would. His longevity of course from Ali to Manny Pacquiao and all those champions in between…the Hagler’s… and he is still going strong. He has surrounded himself with good young helpers.

Why would you not take the opportunity to clear your name and fight?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I don’t want to talk about or think about blood testing. I want to focus on the Clottey fight. I did take a blood test when I fought Erik Morales. I didn’t think I would fight Mayweather because people know Mayweather was not ready to fight me.

BOB ARUM: It causes chaos and it is wrong for one fighter to try to impose rules and regulations on the sport on another fighter. It is as silly as Alex Rodriguez striking out 4 times but a Red Sox pitcher saying I’m not going to face him again unless he takes a blood test. We cannot have that. We have commissions to do that. You make a request and if the commission feels that there is some validity the commission will then order whatever tests and the fighter, in order to fight in that state has to follow what the commission dictates. It’s not for a fighter to do this. In other words, two fighters can agree to fight without gloves or with 6-ounce gloves, but the commission would not allow it because it goes against the rules of the commission. This fight with Mayweather was supposed to be in Nevada and what he should have done is to go to the Nevada commission and requested it. But not to try to bully a fighter that comes from a different country into undergoing tests. Why? Because Mayweather said so? Because he was jealous of the man’s accomplishments? That is preposterous.

MANNY PACQUIAO: It has never been in boxing before that a fighter changed the rules. It is the fighter’s job to fight in the ring and is the promoter’s job and the commission’s job to make the rules for the fight.

BOB ARUM: The Nevada commission has in place, random testing and urinalysis, and they did it while the fighters were negotiating. No one is arguing against random testing. No one is arguing about urinalysis because it is not invasive. That’s already in place. The question is about blood testing and it’s not for you or me or anybody else to decide how important it is other than the applicable state where the fight is being held. Do I feel that random testing is valid? Yes, of course. Nevada has random urinalysis.

Are you surprised there has been no mention of drug testing between Mayweather and Mosley?

BOB ARUM: You don’t have to be geniuses to know what they were trying to do. They were trying to get into his {Pacquiao’s] head. Get him completely discombobulated so he would be easy pickings for Mayweather and if they couldn’t and he said no because of the bullying, Mayweather would get his wish and not have to fight Manny. Mayweather against Manny is a no-contest. Manny would wipe the ring with Floyd Mayweather.

Manny, are you expecting support of the Latinos in Dallas?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I am expecting a lot of Mexican fans to be at the fight.

Has it been difficult to create a buzz around this fight to the general public?


BOB ARUM: To be frank, we had to overcome disappointment. People were looking forward to a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. That is clear. Manny has a huge fan base. He has crossed over. Our job is to present Joshua Clottey as he is. A bigger guy. A stronger guy. A guy who has never been off his feet. A real test for Manny Pacquiao. That is what will sell this fight. You can’t say there are two household names fighting on March 13th, Clottey is a well-respected welterweight. He lost a very close decision to Miguel Cotto in his last fight. He won the title by stopping Zab Judah. He is a formidable opponent but I think that the public gets it. The pay-per-view at $49.95 is going to do extremely well and we are very pleased with the ticket sales at Cowboys Stadium.

Would you agree that Manny has become a cross-over star?

BOB ARUM: 100% correct. That was our goal when we started with Manny was to break him out from the Filipino base that he had. We were able to pick up millions of Hispanic fans and we have broken him in to the general conscience of the people around the world. He is truly a crossover star. How many fighters of our time go on Jimmy Kimmel Live and go on Good Morning America and have a big article coming out in Time magazine? I think that is saying something.

What do you know of Leonard De Jesus?

FREDDIE ROACH: Lenny DeJesus used to work as a cut man for Manny Pacquiao. He knows us pretty well but we have changed a lot since then. He thinks he’s going to face the old Manny Pacquiao but that’s not going to be the case. I respect him and he’s a good boxing guy. Am I a better trainer? I don’t know but I have the better fighter. We have the perfect game plan and I don’t care who trains Joshua Clottey for this fight, he can’t beat us.

He is what he is. Let’s face it. He fights the same way in every tape I watch. Whether he fights southpaws or right-handers, he is predictable. He’s good at what he does but he does the same thing over and over again and he is very predictable. He’s going to try to change for this fight but once he gets in he will revert back to it. We are 100% ready for his style. His is resilient. The beginning of the fight is going to be very hard because he is a very good opponent and he likes to fight. We will break him down and I am confident the fight will not go 12 rounds.

What is the last fight of this magnitude [Pacquiao-Mayweather] that didn’t come off?

BOB ARUM: I remember Bowe and Lewis not coming off when everyone thought it was going to come off. Tyson and Foreman was being negotiated and that never came. Tyson and Holyfield didn’t come off until a number of years later. These things happen but it doesn’t happen all that often. No fighter on my watch is going to get bullied by another fighter. That other fighter, Mayweather, was totally out of line in making the demands he was making to the fighter. Any of those demands should have been directed to the Nevada Athletic Commission. You cannot have independent agencies taking all kinds of testing. It creates chaos. If the Nevada commission has testing, you have to subject yourself to the test. You can’t have baseball players calling out other baseball players to take tests.

Do you think the Mayweather fight will eventually get made?

BOB ARUM: Only if the Mayweather side agrees, they can have any testing they want, but those issues have to be brought before the commission where the fight is taking place. No fighter is going to be able to dictate anything like that to a fighter of mine without going to the commission and petitioning them to adopt those rules.

Manny, do you believe Mayweather does not want to fight you?

MANNY PACQUIAO: What I believe is Floyd Mayweather is not ready at this time to fight with me. That’s why he makes the reasons to cancel the fight. I feel bad and disappointment because he is accusing me of using drugs or whatever and trying to ruin my name in boxing. People know I have been successful through God and hard work.

Maybe he is afraid of me or maybe is not ready for this fight. I am disappointed at what he is accusing me of. I really feel bad but I have no anger toward him. This is boxing. That’s his style. We cannot change that because we are different.

What about your election?

MANNY PACQUIAO: In the election I am leading and the start of campaigning is March 26 so it will not be until after my fight. After the fight I will go back to the Philippines and start campaigning. It is going to be busy. I want to pass some bills that will be good for the livelihood of the people there and education for the children.

What do you mean by Mayweather’s style?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Some fighters like me we can be the greatest fighters without fast words and trash talk. His style is talking a lot of trash and it is not a good example for everybody.

If your career ends without fighting Mayweather, will you be disappointed?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I don’t really need Floyd Mayweather because what I have achieved in boxing is good enough for me and people know that by comparing my achievements in boxing to his achievements.

Will you take full advantage of the weight limit?

FREDDIE ROACH: He [Pacquiao] will weigh in at 147 and he will go into the ring at 149, 150 max. I am not worried about his size. Size doesn’t win fights, skill does and it won’t be a problem.

I have read reports this could be your last fight?

MANNY PACQUIAO: This is my last fight before the election. I am not saying I’m going to retire. It is hard to say right now when I’m going to retire but this is my last fight before the election and I’m very excited about it.

BOB ARUM: As far as I am concerned, he is the best fighter I have ever seen some people may or may not agree. If he decides to retire after the Clottey fight and I would hope that he wins the election and I would give him a big party to commemorate his career in the US. If he continues to fight and then retires later I would still give him a big party. To me he is the best fighter I have ever seen. You have to understand, I’m an old guy but I’ve never seen Marciano or Robinson fight in person and I can’t tell very much from watching the film. But that includes fighter like Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler.

Is there a status report on the lawsuit?

BOB ARUM: That lawsuit will establish beyond any doubt that these innuendos and assertions made by that whole group of defendants, Mayweather, Shaefer, De La Hoya, the other two Mayweather’s, have absolutely no basis in fact and are pulled out of thin air and are really fueled only by jealousy. It is absolutely outrageous what these people have said. That will be affirmed in the court of law. They have not answered the complaint. They have to answer he complaint by the end of March.

Can you tell us why you would retire after fighting Clottey?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I am not saying retire. It is hard to say right now when I would retire. I am still fighting and we’ll see.

BOB ARUM: He is not saying he would retire after the Clottey fight, quite the contrary. Obviously one of these days he is going to retire. After the election he may retire or he may fight. He is leaving the options open.

Do you think Manny is the best?

FREDDIE ROACH: I do think Manny is the best fighter I have ever trained because from where we started to where we are now he is the most improved. His discipline and dedication is unbelievable.

How is your health?

FREDDIE ROACH: I just went to the Cleveland Clinic and I got a full check-up. The guy told me I am the healthiest Parkinson’s patient he has ever seen. I am on the right medications. I am on mild medications because of my strength from fighting and he said don’t worry; I am going to live a long time. So I’m going to be around for a while.

BOB ARUM: On Friday we are celebrating Freddie’s 50th birthday.

FREDDIE ROACH: Thanks for reminding me Bob.

Would you be content if Manny never fought Floyd?

BOB ARUM: I would absolutely be content.

FREDDIE ROACH: I would like to shut him up of course. Obviously he is just going to have to go by the rules. It is like saying we want to fight five-minute rounds. Commissions do that, not fighters. If you let him have his way it’s like giving away the first two rounds – it’s crazy. I do want Manny to fight him and I know Manny would knock him out and then the whole world will be happy.

MANNY PACQUIAO: Yes, I’m OK. I don’t need to fight him.

What type of boxer can beat you?

MANNY PACQUIAO: When I get old.

What about the young fighters in the world today?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I always watch them and I like to see them train and give them advice. Those young fighters in Puerto Rico are good fighters.

How do you feel about Miguel Cotto?

BOB ARUM: I think Miguel has had a great career and he’s a fighter that has never been afraid to get in the ring with anyone. He gave Manny Pacquiao, the greatest fighter of our era and in my opinion the greatest fighter I have ever seen, he gave him hell for the first six rounds. He fought his heart out. He’s a wonderful fighter. In June he will fight for another world title against Yuri Foreman in New York. He’s had a great career and he’s been a big star. More importantly, he has matured as a person. He is a great person right now. He has a lot of businesses. I am very proud of Miguel.

Is there anything that Clottey brings to the table you are anxious about?

FREDDIE ROACH: He is a very strong guy and he’s a strong puncher. His best punch is the uppercut but we will not fall into that pocket too often to let him use that shot. I do have a lot of confidence in my fighter and the reason why is the way he has been sparring. We have big strong guys that fight a lot like Clottey. Manny has been handling them with ease in sparring. We had our best day of sparring yesterday – 11 great rounds and Manny pitched a shutout. We use four sparring partners yesterday and Manny is on top of his game and he’s got the game plan down and he’s very sharp right now. I’m happy where he’s at. I think we will overwhelm him and the fight will end before 12.

BOB ARUM: March 13 is unique. People all over the world and on pay-per-view in the United States will have the opportunity to see the best fighter of our era fight a top welterweight bigger and stronger and I am looking forward to Manny Pacquiao’s performance because every single one of these performances will become part of history and we’ll see you in Dallas.

***************************************

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with the Dallas Cowboys, Tecate and MP Promotions, THE EVENT: PACQUIAO vs. CLOTTEY will take place Saturday, March 13, in Cowboys Stadium, where over 30,000 tickets have already been sold. The $1.2 billion stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), boxing’s only seven-division world champion, of General Santos City, Philippines, will be defending the World Boxing Organization welterweight title against Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs), of Accra, Ghana. THE EVENT will be produced and distributed Live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

HBO Sports® will present “Road to Dallas: Pacquiao vs. Clottey,” a thirty-minute special analyzing the upcoming welterweight title showdown that will mark the first-ever pro boxing event at the landmark $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex. The special will premiere on HBO This Saturday! March 6 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT immediately following the live presentation of HBO Boxing After Dark®.

More Kauffman, Cintron Victories

Allentown, PA - Two of Reading, PA's native sons made their triumphant returns to the Saturday last night as Travis Kauffman and Jason Cintron scored dominant wins over their opponents at the Rodeway Inn & Conference Center in Allentown, PA. King's Promotions, who promoted the first boxing event in Allentown in two years, were proud to announce the event was a tremendous success as all 800 available seats were sold out.

In the heavyweight main event, Travis Kauffman boxed and banged his way to a shutout unanimous decision over Mike Miller. Kauffman, 228, came out in the first round looking to make a physical impression on the much larger Miller, 276, as he hammered hard body shots in the first round. Those body shots began to take their toll in the second round as Miller began to slow precipitously and allowed Kauffman to work his jab consistently.

Kauffman switched stances effortlessly and landed hard right hooks to the head and body. The durable Miller of Akron, OH absorbed thudding shots but remained standing for the duration of the fight. All three judges scored the fight 60-54 for Kauffman.

The win was Kauffman's first fight back since losing a controversial fight with Tony Grano on Showtime last year.

"I was a little rusty and I wanted to get my rounds in," said Kauffman, now 19-1 (15 KO). "I wish I had a little longer to train so I could have stopped him."

Kauffman's next fight is scheduled for May 22 at the Sovereign Center in his hometown of Reading, PA. Though a rematch with Grano appeals to him, he isn't holding his breath. "I've moved past Tony Grano, I'm on to bigger and better things. If he offered me a fight, I wouldn't turn it down. I feel the loss was a fluke and my performances in the ring will show that."

Jason Cintron continued to put distance between himself and his only career loss by defeating Maurice Chalmers by unanimous decision. Cintron, 144, put Chalmers down hard with a right cross a minute into the first round but the defensive minded Chalmers held and survived. Cintron continued to box effectively and land hooks and right hands throughout that solidified the victory. Cintron moves to 12-1 (3 KO) while Chalmers drops to 7-10-1 (4 KO).

In other action, super-middleweight Farah Ennis of Philadelphia moved to 12-0 with a third round TKO of Emmanuel Gonzalez. Featherweight Coy Evans 7-0-1 (1 KO) of Philadelphia won a unanimous decision over a game Robert DaLuz. Allentown's Eluid Torres raised his record to 3-1-2 (2 KO) with a third round knockout of John Willoughby. Derrick Webster of Glassboro, NJ moved to 5-0 (4 KO) with a fourth round stoppage of Pete Guthy.

All of the fights can be viewed beginning tomorrow night at GoFightLive.tv for the affordable price of $4.99.

For more information on Kauffman, Cintron and all other King's Promotions fighters, visit.www.kingsboxing.com.

Escalante Passes Trial By Fire & Wins Decision Against Roman

LOS ANGELES - It was the first Fight of the Year candidate of 2010 as Antonio Escalante and Miguel Roman delivered the goods in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas on Friday night. When the grueling, back and forth, all out action war was over, Escalante emerged victorious via a 10-round unanimous decision, but there were truly no losers as far as the fans in attendance and those watching on ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" were concerned.

"I'm proud of Antonio for his performance and the heart he showed Friday night," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions, Escalante's promoter who watched the fight from ringside in El Paso. "He was in there with a tough warrior in Mickey Roman and he passed his test with flying colors. Congratulations to both men on a great and exciting fight."

"Miguel Roman gave me one of my toughest fights ever and it was an honor sharing the ring with him," said Escalante. "This is the type of fight I always want to give my fans and I think I showed that I'm willing to leave everything in the ring in order to get the victory. Now, bring on the best in the division, because I'm ready for them."

With the victory, which El Paso's Escalante won via scores of 96-93, 96-93 and 97-92, and improves to 23-2 with 14 KO's. It was the 24-year old's ninth consecutive win and proof that he is not going to let anyone or anything stop him as he continues on his path towards a world title shot.

Jones Decisions Bruseles, Mabuza Stops Holt

In a battle for the  NABA welterweight title, Mike Jones (20-0 16KOs) outworled Henry Bruseles (28-4-1 15KOs) on his way to a ten round unanimous decision Saturday at Bally's Park Place Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. Scores were 98-92 (twice), 97-92.

Kaizer Mabuza (23-6-3 14KOs) scored a sixth round TKO over former world champion Kendall Holt (25-4 13KOs).

Gabriel Rosado SD(10) Saul Roman

Mayol-Romero Ends In Draw, Estrada Stops Rivero

Rodel Mayol (26-4-2 20KOs) retained his WBC light flyweight title when his bout against Omar Nino Romero (28-3-2 11KOs) ended in a third round technical draw Saturday at the Coliseo Olimpico de la UG in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

WBC Youth lightweight champ Daniel Estrada (22-1 18KOs) scored a tenth round TKO over Angel Rivero (21-8-2 14KOs).

Whitfield Stops Espinoza, Cherry Victorious

In a battle for the WBO NABO flyweight title, Rayonta Whitfield (24-1 12KOs) scored a ninth round TKO over Sergio Espinoza (16-7-1 5KOs) Saturday night at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia. Time was 2:49.

Edner Cherry (27-6-2 15KOs) defeated Delvin Placencia (15-3 6KOs) via second round KO. Time was 0:56.

Pier Cote (10-0 6KOs) outpointed Willshaun Boxley (5-5 3KOs) on his way to a six round unanimous decision. 57-56, 58-55, 57-56.

Mikael Zewski (pro debut) TKO(3) Kevin Kibler

Vazquez Jr. KOs Sonsona, Results From Puerto Rico

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (18-0-1 15KOs) claimed the vacant WBO super bantamweight title with a fourth round KO against previously unbeaten Marvin Sonsona (14-1-1 12KOs) Saturday at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Time was 2:01.

Carlos Negron (8-0 6KOs) made quick work of Roy Ashworth (5-8 1KO) with a first round KO victory. Time was 2:59.

In a battle of fighters making their pro debut, McWilliams Arroyo (1-0 1KO) scored a first round KO victory over Eliecer Sanchez (0-1). Time was 1:46.

Also making his pro debut, McJoe Arroyo (1-0 1KO) earned his first victory as a prize fighter via second round KO against Giovanni Rivera (0-3 ). Time was 0:25.

Maicelo KOs Salgado

WBC Latino lightweight champ Jonathan Maicelo (12-0 8KOs) retained his title with an impressive first round KO over Victor Salgado (18-13-1 15KOs) Saturday at Coliseo Nino Heroe Manuel Bonilla in Lima Peru. Time was 1:08.

Super featherweight Carlos Zambrano (10-0 4KOs) remained unbeaten with a first round KO victory against Oscar Villa (15-8 5KOs).

Mauricio Reynoso TKO(2) Idiozan Matos

Alan Paredes UD(6) Guillermo Dejeas

Clottey Conference Call Transcript


Photo: David Sanchez II / R&D Boxing Blog

BOB ARUM: We are a little over two weeks away and we are very excited about the full house we are going to have at Cowboys Stadium with Manny Pacquiao, who is the most exciting fighter in the world today and we couldn’t find a more competitive opponent that Joshua Clottey. Clottey has a heart like a lion and he is a terrifically balanced fighter who comes and gives it everything. We think that whoever wins this fight, at the end of the night, they will be saying that this is the best fight that Manny has ever, ever been in. This is the toughest fighter that Manny Pacquiao, the Fighter of the Decade, has been in the ring with. There are many experts saying they wouldn’t be surprised if Joshua Clottey won this fight.

VINNY SCALPINO: Joshua has been training very hard and his team around has been reporting wonderful things. So we are ready to rumble.

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I would like everybody to know that I have been training very hard and that the owner of the Cowboys and Bob Arum will be very happy and I want to make everyone happy, that’s what I am doing now. I am training to do my best and to bring my best to the ring.

Can you talk about your confidence level going into this fight?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: Like I always said, Manny’s a good fighter, he’s the best now. This is my 40th fight in the professional ranks and it is the most special and I’m taking it a special way. I think this is the third time going for the WBO title and my fourth world title overall. I have had a fight with Cotto and now Manny Pacquiao. I was so surprised that I had this opportunity to fight against Manny Pacquiao and when Bob Arum and Top Rank called me about this opportunity to fight Manny Pacquiao, I was so happy and I want to win this fight in a big way.

I think you are right. He does throw a lot of punches. He throws a lot of punches to people when he sees the openings. He won’t see the openings with me. When I block the punches it will always make him think. You see, I have my game plan. I know what is going to happen in the ring. I always come to fight and I always see my openings. My game plan is to chase him, but if he is going to be there, fine.

Do you think you need to throw more punches to win the fight? Against Cotto it seemed as if you needed to throw more…

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I think you are right. You know, I’m not a flyweight. I am not a bantamweight. I am a welterweight and welterweights only throw punches that connect. I can throw shots which connect and land and cause damage. Not throw a lot of punches that he is deflecting and blocking. If you look at the last fight, I won the last round. He threw punches and I blocked them and I threw punches and they connected. I will throw punches that cause damage.

My training is going to show when I get in the ring, but with Manny Pacquiao you don’t have to miss with him. When he is throwing you have to let him do it. Like you said, they come from many angles. I have my plan.

Manny has made tremendous improvement as he has moved up in weight, which has caused suspicion. Do you have any reason to believe he is doing anything illegal and why aren’t you requiring to take additional tests?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I don’t want him to do that because I respect him too much. He is a very nice guy to be honest with you and I feel comfortable around him. He is nice and respects everybody and I know where he is from. I don’t think Manny Pacquiao is doing that thing. If he is doing that thing, he is killing the sport. Between he and God, it is going to some day be a problem. I wouldn’t make him do that steroid thing because I believe in him. I know he throws a pot of punches. I respect him for that so I couldn’t ask him to do that.

What would a victory mean to you?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: A victory would mean very, very more than a lot to me. That’s why I am so happy about this opportunity. And second, if I beat Manny Pacquiao I am going to be very much happy, because he is the best fighter out there. He is the man now and he’s giving me a chance to fight him and if I beat him, I’m going to be on top of the world. It will be very important to the people in my country and that is very important in life.

What was it like growing up?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: When I was a young boy growing up I saw the boys in the area and I

said I wanted to fight them. I fought one and then I wanted to fight again like a revenge. I beat him and I became a boxer. My life was not easy for me at all. I had to go all over the world to become champion. I came to America after fighting in England where things were very wrong. Then I came here and things were moving along with Top Rank and Bob Arum and I have to give thanks to them.

These are both your fighters and it must be difficult for you…how do you see this fight playing out?

BOB ARUM: Of course I have and the more I play it over in my head I realize how competitive this fight is going to be. Nobody, with any real certainty, can predict this fight. Everybody knows how Manny Pacquiao fights. Everybody knows the angles that he throws punches from. Everybody knows that Joshua Clottey is a tremendous defensive fighter and can put a real hurting on an opponent. Everybody knows that Clottey is the bigger man and Manny is the smaller man. People talk about how much Manny has gone up in weight, but he really hasn’t gone up much. He couldn’t make 130 so he fought at 135 pounds. He was 138 when he fought Ricky Hatton. If he gets on the scale now at the weigh-in weighing 142 or 143 that’s because he ate breakfast and lunch on the day of the weigh-in, so if he had to he could still make 135 pounds. The idea that suddenly Manny Pacquiao has become a big man is just not true. Joshua has the size and he is a natural welterweight…Manny Pacquiao isn’t and that makes intrigue in the fight. Even Joshua would admit that Manny is the favorite in the fight because he has such a great resume but I can go either way.

What do you think Manny’s weak spots are?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: No matter what people are going to talk about him, he is the best now. When he beats guys, like in the Cotto fight, he beats guys that don’t have a good defense. I have a defense. I will never say anything bad about the guy because he is the best now. When I walk in the ring with Manny Pacquiao and I lost, I will tell everybody I lost the fight. But I keep telling people I didn’t lose the Cotto fight because I don’t feel that I did. When I walk into the ring, I do what I want to do to win the fight, to do my best.

When I walk into the ring I will know what I need to do to win the fight.

What areas do you need to improve to become great?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I trained a lot for this fight. I trained really hard for this fight. I trained when I was in Africa. I run to the beach from my house here and I do everything I can. That is good for me because I am going to be fighting the best guy out there and if I don’t prepare correctly and he is hitting me with the punches he throws, he is going to hurt me so I am protecting myself at the gym. So when I get to the ring I will be fine. I promise everybody a good fight, that’s what I’m telling you.

How surprised were you when this fight came about?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I wasn’t really thinking about this fight at all. But I know I can fight anybody and I know I can beat any boxer. It looked like somebody didn’t want to fight. All the guys were talking about Pacquiao vs. Mayweather and it looks like he didn’t want to do it and it’s good for me. If they didn’t do it, I get in. I feel like it was a blessing from God.

Bob, can you talk about the venue?

BOB ARUM: As you will see on March 13, there is no stadium or arena in the world like Cowboys Stadium. It is an architectural marvel – just the paintings alone. But that is not what makes an exciting event. What makes the event super exciting is that screen that goes from one 20 yard line to the other and is super high definition. The screen will be 30 feet above the ring. Every replay and every punch in the fight will be seen in really high definition. Indeed, as pretty as the Cowboy Cheerleaders are, wait until you see them on that big screen, it is something really special. Until you see it and until you’re there, it is very difficult to describe the experience. I know that they just had the NBA All Star Game and the players were on the bench waiting to get in as the game was going on and many of them were watching the game on the screen rather than right in front of them on the floor.

When I saw the Cowboys-Eagles game sitting in Jerry Jones’ box, I found myself half the time watching the game on the screen than watching the field just because just because the picture is so incredible. I think that’s what helps make it. It has lounges, the Patrón Lounge, the concession stands. Yankee Stadium has a lot of that but it is really an experience to be in the huge arena and watch an event.

What about Margarito, was it a disappointment he not being on the card?

BOB ARUM: We are disappointed. The Texas Commission said they would have to hold a hearing and if they did we realized we wouldn’t get a result until it was too late. So instead we did the Humberto Soto/David Diaz lightweight championship in its place.

Did steroid testing come up in the negotiations for this fight?

BOB ARUM: My view is that is not a topic for negotiation. That is something for the commission to decide. If a boxer would like more stringent testing than is applicable in that state, he should go before the commission, present his case and let the commission decide. It is not for a bunch of amateurs to start talking about and start making demands – that is what’s called chaos. That’s what you have to do and that’s what you have commissions for. You go before the commission and you tell them I want such-and-such done and you let the commissioners decide – that’s what they are getting paid for – to handle those kind of questions.

VINNY SCOLPINO: I couldn’t agree with Bob more. If the commission wants to implement other drug testing rules, let them implement them. We abide by the rules that are set for us then we move forward. Manny is a super champion and we all hope he is doing the right thing. If the commission finds it in their drug testing – they find it. We were going to abide by the rules set by the state. W are professionals in the sport, Joshua is a professional and if that commission in that state says to do this, we do it.

Is 40,00 people still a target?

BOB ARUM: We didn’t set the stadium up for 40,000, we set it up for 45,000 and we are on our way to selling out.

There are a lot of Hispanics in Dallas. We are selling a lot of tickets to Hispanics. On the principal undercard bouts we have Hispanics. We have Jose Luis Castillo fighting Alfonso Gomez, John Duddy, who is Irish, fighting Michael Medina, a Mexican from Monterey, middleweight, and David Diaz against Humberto Soto for the WBC lightweight title. On the non-televised portion of the card, it is loaded with Hispanics like Roberto Marroquin of Dallas – the Hispanics and Mexicans will be well-represented. Manny Pacquiao has fought many Mexicans and when I was down in Mexico identified Manny as a Filipino/Mexican and the Mexicans in California feel that Manny is one of them.

When did you feel it was a reality to be having a fight at Cowboys Stadium?

BOB ARUM: Well, you remember back when we were involved in the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Jerry had called me at home. I knew Jerry, he had come to a couple of fights and he said, ‘Bob, we want the fight in Cowboys Stadium.’ We set up a meeting and Mayweather’s guy, Richard Schaefer, canceled the meeting the day before and it was kind of embarrassing for us. I knew in my mind that Cowboys Stadium would be a great venue for this fight. When the Mayweather fight fell out and the fight was made with Joshua Clottey, the first call I made was to Jerry Jones. I told him I want to come out and make a deal with Cowboys Stadium. He invited me out and it was in conjunction with the Cowboys-Eagles game. I was there that night and the next day, Jerry, Todd [duBoef] and myself and Jerry’s staff and Steve Jones had a meeting and we made a deal.

Could you get more than 45,000?

BOB ARUM: That’s up to Jerry. Right now everyone would have a tremendous view of the fight. We could expand but right now we are on target to sell the 45,000 tickets and we’d be very happy doing that. I know yesterday we sold 350 tickets and we are on course to do that again today. By the time the fighters get into town, we would have sold well over 40,000 tickets. We would then have 3,000 or 4,000 tickets to go and it would be up to Jerry to expand.

Are you worried about the training situation?

VINNY SCOLPINO: I think Lenny [DeJesus] brings a lot of experience, probably over 40 years and he was with Pacquiao during many of his fights. Lenny has always been more than just a cut-man, he also trains a lot of fighters. He brings a wealth of experience, he knows the business, he knows what to do in the ring whether he’s a cut man or whether he’s a trainer. So we are comfortable. Joshua is comfortable with him and we are ready to rumble. We feel comfortable coming out of that rind with a victory with what we are doing. Josh was training in Ghana with another trainer and we tried to get that trainer in but we weren’t sitting on the sidelines hoping and praying that that trainer would get in. We had plans. If the trainer joined us from Ghana we would love it. Right now we are comfortable with what we have and Josh is a true professional. Josh is so excited to get in that ring with Manny. We are ready to rumble. When that bell rings, everything changes. Right now they are respectful of each other and are true professionals, but when that bell rings, those hats come off. Fists are going to fly.

Are you disappointed your trainer could not get to the States, there were reports you brodke down and wept, is that true?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: It is true. We have been together for a very long time. If he could get his visa, I would fly him here. They are not going to give him his visa and I can’t wait for him because I have to get ready to fight and my life is on the line. When I get in the ring my trainer will give me motivation. I had him in Ghana for weeks and that matters. In other fights, my cut man, Lenny, was pushing me a lot so I thought I would use him as my trainer.

Are you ready for Manny Pacquiao and how do you plan on beating Manny Pacquiao?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I am very much ready for Manny Pacquiao. I keep telling people that I am going to fight and I know it’s not easy. It’s not going to be easy for me and it’s not going to be easy for Manny Pacquiao because I am going to fight the guy who the people think is the best.

I have never watched his tapes. I never sit down and watch him and I never sit down and talk about him. The only thing I think about is me and what I have to do when I come into the ring. I have been training very hard for myself to get to the ring and do my best. When I get to the ring, the fight will start and that’s what I’ll do.

Will your size make a difference in the fight like it did in the Cotto fight?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I am not talking about whether I am bigger or stronger than Manny Pacquiao. I don’t want to talk like that because little guys beat the big guys out there. I am not thinking about that. The writers make the story so good. I know I’m big and I’m strong but I’m not thinking about that. I just train to get in the ring to do my best. I just know what kind of a fighter he is. I just have to be me. That is most important to me.

I have known Lenny and he is a very good man. He was my cut man with Cotto. So my trainer could not get a visa and I picked him to be my trainer for this fight. Miguel Diaz used to be my cut man but he will be with Manny Pacquiao for this fight.

Do you feel Pacquiao-Mayweather could be made in the future?

BOB ARUM: Life goes on, that what these boys fight for. If Joshua beats Manny, who knows? If Mosley beats Mayweather then we do a Mosley-Clottey fight. That’s what makes boxing interesting. If I did a walkover fight, for example, Pacquiao and Malignaggi, which was at one point bandied about, people would say I was just keeping Pacquiao busy and they would have been right. But there is danger in Manny losing this fight. Clottey is a very dangerous fight. There is also the chance that Mosley goes back to the fountain of youth, which he got for the Margarito fight and if he gets in the ring with Mayweather could very well beat Mayweather – the Mosley that fought Margarito. If these were walk-over fights, nobody would give a damn. The fight that everyone wanted to see didn’t happen for one reason or another and I’m not here on this call to cast blame on the other side, but on March 13 we have a really good fight, a competitive fight, a fight that could go either way and a fight that will be Manny Pacquiao’s toughest fight.

Did you say you haven’t watched tape of Manny’s fights?

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: That is right. I never watch tapes of people. I don’t like watching tapes but I know how he fights. When I get to the ring I know how he is going to be.

Negotiations to get to this fight?

BOB ARUM: In all the fights that I’ve done, this whole series of fights, the Hatton fight, the De La Hoya fight, the Cotto fight…it was never any kind of serious problems in the negotiations. There were a couple of problems that went back and forth and the Mayweather negotiations threw me for a loop because they became so acrimonious and so in a lot of ways nonsensical, that it led me to believe rightly or wrongly that the Mayweather side never wanted to do the fight. Now the negotiations for the Clottey fight took about 24 hours. They contacted Clottey in Africa and I spoke to Vinny and Pat English the lawyer and we put it together quite promptly. But that has been that way with every fight, that we can put it together without much back and forth. Whether it was the presence of Al Haymon because we had problems with the Williams fight with Kelly Pavlik, I don’t really know. I just know that the Mayweather negotiations were extremely difficult and extremely acrimonious and kept the fight from happening.

If we believe, and I certainly believe that boxing is a big-time sport, boxing is on a crest and boxing isn’t a niche sport or a dying sport, but it’s a big-time sport and putting it in big stadiums like Cowboy Stadium, like Yankees Stadium, like the new stadium in the Meadowlands, proves that point. Because when you put your product in venues like that, what you’re saying to the world that boxing is a big-time sport and can hold its own past any other sport. We know what’s happening in Mexico…boxing is getting higher ratings than soccer and certainly any other sport going on regularly on terrestrial TV on a Saturday night. We know it from Germany where arenas are constantly sold out and the ratings are through the roof, we know if from England and the Philippines and Japan. We don’t know it yet from the United States but I’m telling you, it’s like the sleeping giant that is there. Boxing in the U.S. will takes its place the same way that it is doing it in the rest of the world like a big-time sport. Putting these events in these stadiums will prove that and demonstrate that.

JOSHUA CLOTTEY: I would like to thank the media and all the questions that they ask me and the answers that I put through. I want to thank God and Bob Arum and the Top Rank crew. I am very happy that this fight is coming up on the 13th of March and I’m going to do the best that I can.

BOB ARUM: I am really looking forward to March 13 and this great event in Cowboys Stadium. The telecast is $49.95. I have explained the undercard and it will be a great night of boxing. Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders all over the place, fireworks. It will be a real event and that’s why we have named it THE EVENT. More importantly this will be the best fight you have seen. This will be the toughest for many Pacquiao. You’ve heard today how determined Joshua Clottey is and you’re going to see fireworks in the ring and that’s what boxing is all about. Thanks for being on this call and we’ll see you on March 13th.

*************************************

Video from Clottey's training camp taken on Thursday.

Clottey Pre-Dawn Beach Run
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaF2siDEW-M

Clottey Pounds the Mitts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3qdT2txavI

Clottey hits the bags
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToOqtukTZWs

Stretching and sit ups...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrdTAXioeBg

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with the Dallas Cowboys, Tecate and MP Promotions, THE EVENT: PACQUIAO vs. CLOTTEY will take place Saturday, March 13, in Cowboys Stadium, where over 30,000 tickets have already been sold. The $1.2 billion stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), boxing’s only seven-division world champion, of General Santos City, Philippines, will be defending the World Boxing Organization welterweight title against Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs), of Accra, Ghana. THE EVENT will be produced and distributed Live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

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HBO Sports® will present “Road to Dallas: Pacquiao vs. Clottey,” a thirty-minute special analyzing the upcoming welterweight title showdown that will mark the first-ever pro boxing event at the landmark $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex. The special will premiere on HBO Saturday, March 6 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT immediately following the live presentation of HBO Boxing After Dark®.

Escalante Victorious, Results From El Paso

Antonio Escalante (23-2 14KOs) moved one step closer to fighting for a world title by defeating Miguel Roman (28-7 20KOs) via ten round unanimous decision Friday night at the Don Haskins Convention Center in El Paso, TX. Scores were 97-92, 96-93 (twice).

Danny Garcia (16-0 10KOs) edged out a ten round split decision victory over Ashley Theophane (25-4-1 7KOs). Scores were 86-94, 95-94, 95-94 (Theophane).

Sharif Bogere (14-0 8KOs) scored a third round TKO victory over Jose Hernandez (10-2 4KOs). Time was 0:44.

Luis Grajeda UD(4) Osvaldo Rojas

Saul Morales TKO(2) Julian Rodriguez

Augustine Bautista (pro debut) SD(4) Chad Johnson

Rodrigues Decisions Vera

Isaac Rodrigues (17-0 13KOs) scored a ten round majority decision over Brian Vera (16-4 10KOs) Friday night at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. Scores were 97-93, 96-94, 95-95.

In other action:

Brian Miller (7-0-3 3KOs) defeated Jose L. Guzman (5-7-1) via third round TKO. Time was 2:59.

Broderick Antoine TKO(3) Norberto Frias

Amanda Serrano UD(6) Lucia Larcinese

Michael Faragon TKO(3) Fernando Basora

Markus Williams UD(4) Rondu Campbell

Reggie Scott TD(3) DeMarcus Clark

Mayol-Nino Weights


Photo: WBC

Rodel Mayol 107.8 vs Omar Nino 108

Weights From Atlantic City

Henry Bruseles 147 vs. Mike Jones 146.8
Kendall Holt 139.6 vs. Kaizer Mabuza 140
Ariel Espinal 181 vs. Tony Pietrantonio 171
Todd Eriksson 166.5 vs. Troy Maxwell 168
Gabriel Rosado 153.4 vs. Saul Roman 155
Ossie Duran 155 vs. Jamaal Davis 156.5
Tyrone Miles 153 vs. Glen Tapia 152

Weights From Puerto Rico


Photo: Jose Perez / PR Best Boxing Promotions

Marvin Sonsona 121.4 vs. Wilfredo Vázquez Jr 122

Undercard:

José Ángel Beranza 121.4 vs. Jonathan Oquendo 122
Roy Ashworth 185 vs. Carlos Negrón 186
Eliecer Sánchez 114.2 vs. Mcwilliams Arroyo 113
Giovanni Rivera 118.2 vs. Mcjoe Arroyo 118
Efigenio Pérez 145.8 vs. Luis González 140.4
Marcos Adorno 155.2 vs. Giovanni Rodríguez 154.8
Osenohad Vázquez 141 vs. Jorge Pérez Adorno 140.2

Clottey Knows Where Pacquiao's Power Came From


Photo: David Sanchez II / R&D Boxing Blog

Challenger Joshua Clottey says he knows where Manny Pacquiao got all of his power.

Comanche Boy Returns March 19 On ESPN's "Friday Night Fights"

Joshua Clottey Training Camp Pics

LOS ANGELES (February 24) - As the 2010 boxing season kicks into full swing, big name sponsors are excited to be a part of the critically acclaimed and popular "Fight Night Club" presented by Golden Boy Promotions and AEG. The first season produced unprecedented enthusiasm for the sport of boxing in Los Angeles and the second season is back from L.A. LIVE's Club Nokia with more excitement for round two and is backed by hard-hitting sponsors. Fox Sports Net has joined forces with Golden Boy and AEG to televise the 10-fight monthly boxing series while RingTV.com is back on board to stream the fights live online plus Budweiser and Vitamin Water are returning for a second sponsorship season of the hit series and joining them will be DeWalt Tools.

"We are extremely excited to be working with so many great sponsors on the 'Fight Night Club' series," said Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. "This is a series that is really close to my heart as I think the kids fighting on these shows are the future of boxing and it's important to give them exposure and get them ready to be the stars of tomorrow. The sponsors add so much to the overall atmosphere at these events from free giveaways to raffle contests to photo booths; the fans are the real winners at 'Fight Night Club.'"

The sponsors are not just putting their logo on the ringmat, they are actively promoting the events through local and national sponsorship packages.

Fox Sports Net has signed on to air all 10 events as part of their monthly programming. The events will be televised on Fox Sports Net (FSN) and its regional sports network affiliates (check local listings). In addition to seeing the fights on FSN, fans can also watch the fights online as RingTV.com has signed up for a second season to stream the fights live.

DeWalt Power Tools will set up on-site interactive areas including a power tool demonstrations and a custom photo area made out of a boxing ring for fans to take pictures with Golden Boy fighters. They are also offering retail programming in The Home Depot stores with a chance receive discounts on "Fight Night Club" tickets as well as "Enter to Win" packages to other Golden Boy fights.

Anheuser Busch-Budweiser will activate "Fight Night Club" by offering $10 off two tickets plus a free t-shirt incentive. They are also hosting a Ring Girl Contest to find new talent for the time-honored Ring Girl tradition at the Club Nokia shows.

Tickets are almost sold out with only General Admission tickets still available for $19.75 (Floor Standing Room & Balcony Seats) for purchase by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or through any Ticketmaster outlet or the STAPLES Center box office. Group tickets and full series tickets at a discounted rate are also available by calling 1-877-AEG TICKETS (1-877-234-8425).

In the main event of this season's first show, exciting top junior welterweight contender "Vicious" Victor Ortiz returns to fight in front of his Southern California fans in a ten round bout against ultra-tough Hector Alatorre of Tulare, California.

In the co-main event, Paramount, California's Charles Huerta takes on veteran Guadalupe De Leon in featherweight action. The televised opening bout will see Santa Ana, California's undefeated lightweight Luis Ramos Jr. face his toughest test to date in Colombia's Walter Estrada and undefeated junior welterweight Carlos Molina from Norwalk, California will face Hensley Strachan. In other action undefeated Philadelphia native Karl Dargan takes on Mexico's Jose Alfredo Lugo, junior welterweight unbeatens collide when Las Vegas' Jessie Vargas takes on San Antonio's Robert Luna and Oxnard's junior featherweight Ricky Lopez faces Hugo Ramos of Palm Springs.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.fightnightclub.com follow Golden Boy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.

Fight Camp 360, Episode 4 Premieres This Saturday

NEW YORK (Feb. 24, 2010)—The latest installment of the critically acclaimed reality series from SHOWTIME Sports® — FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic — returns to SHOWTIME® with Episode 4, premiering Saturday, Feb. 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. The 30-minute episode features an emotional interview with Jermain Taylor as he discusses his withdrawal from the tournament. Also, viewers will join the charismatic Super Six promoters as they candidly discuss Taylor’s replacement, the ultra-confident Allan Green.

Viewers will join Arthur Abraham as he departs Germany for the United States in preparation for his Group Stage 2 bout against Andre Dirrell. Along the way, Abraham, the former middleweight titleholder, misplaces his cherished world championship belt and the hunt is on.

Episode 4 also takes viewers to Flint, Mich., and inside the home of young Dirrell as he and his team study Abraham’s fighting style and begin to strategize for the tough challenge ahead of them.

The complete viewing schedule for Episode 4 is below.

On Saturday, March 27, Abraham, the Super Six World Boxing Classic leader will face Dirrell in a 12-round match, live on SHOWTIME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Group Stage 2 bouts continue with a world championship doubleheader on Saturday, April 24. Undefeated Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs), of England, will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight title against former World Boxing Association (WBA) 168-pound champion Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) of Denmark, and Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland, Calif., who captured Kessler’s WBA belt last November, will risk his crown against Green (29-1, 20 KOs).

The tournament twin-bill will be televised on SHOWTIME beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT with Froch vs. Kessler airing on same-day delay from MCH Arena, in Herning, Denmark, immediately followed by the live Ward vs. Green bout from Oakland, Calif.

Air dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic–
Episode 4:
Saturday, Feb. 27 – 7:30 p.m. SHOWTIME (premiere)
Sunday, Feb. 28 – 2:15 a.m. SHOWTIME 2
Monday, March 1 – 8:30 p.m. SHOWTIME
Monday, March 1 – 10 p.m. SHO 2
Tuesday, March 2 – 10 p.m. SHO 2
Wednesday, March 3 – 10:30 p.m. SHO 2
Thursday, March 4, 1 – 1 a.m. SHOWTIME
Thursday, March 4, 11 p.m. SHO 2
Friday, March 5 – 10 p.m. SHO 2
Friday, March 5 – Midnight SHOWTIME
Friday, March 5 – 4 a.m. SHO 2
Saturday, March 6 – 1:30 p.m. SHOWTIME2
Wednesday, March 17 – 11 p.m. SHO 2
Monday, March 22 – 10 p.m. SHO 2
Tuesday, March 23 – 10:30 p.m. SHO 2
Thursday, March 25 – 11:30 p.m. SHO 2
Friday, March 26 – 5 a.m. SHO2
Wednesday, March 31 – 10:30 p.m. SHO2
Note: all times ET/PT

For more information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic including exclusive videos, photography, expert analysis from Al Bernstein and Steve Farhood, and much more, please visit www.WorldBoxingClassic.com.

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semi-Finals. The winners of the Semi-Final bouts will advance to the Finals and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic trophy.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Sonsona-Vazquez Final Presser

Undefeated super bantamweights Marvin Sonsona (14-0-1 12KOs) and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (17-0-1 14KOs) meet in Puerto Rico during the final press conference for their bout Saturday at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez for the vacant WBO super bantamweight championship.

Photos: PR Best Boxing





Manuel Charr Injured

Bad luck for Manuel Charr. The WBA #13 ranked heavyweight fighter suffered an injury near the Universum Gym in snowy Hamburg, where the streets had been full of snow and ice during the last weeks. He injured his left knee and has a cruciate ligament rupture and a broken kneecap. He underwent surgery few days ago.

Manuel Charr: "I fell on my knee. I'm doing better now but I will have a long recovery time. I'm devastated but I'm coming back even stronger then before. That's sports! Docters told me that it will take five month of recovering. Have your fingers crossed that I can return to the ring very soon. Take care, Manuel!"

Berto Set To Defend Against Quintana April 10, Cloud vs Johnson On Undercard

WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto (25-0 19KOs) is set to defend his title against former world champion Carlos Quintana (27-2 21KOs) on Saturday, April 10 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, FL. The bout will be televised live on HBO and a press conference is scheduled for next week.

In the co-featured bout, IBF light heavyweight champ Tavoris Cloud (20-0 18KOs) will defend against Glen Johnson (50-13-2 34KOs). Johnson earned the title shot with an impressive sixth round TKO over Yusaf Mack in a title eliminator bout earlier this month.

Tecate To Offer $20 Rebate For Pacquiao-Clottey PPV

Tecate, cerveza con carácter, demonstrates its commitment to boxing through a regional marketing campaign designed to create buzz and bring adult boxing aficionados closer to the March 13encounter between Filipino WBO Welterweight Champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (50-3, 38 KO’s) and the hard-punching former title holder from Ghana, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KO’s). The event will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View from the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, beginning at 9p.m. ET/6p.m. PT.

“Once again, we’re thrilled to do our part in ensuring that as many fans as possible can be witness to the excitement of boxing,” said Daniel Cuellar, sponsorship and media director for Tecate in Mexico. “Pacquiao vs. Clottey is more than just a fight, it’s an event; not only because of the anticipation surrounding the match, but because both fighters will showcase their talent, passion, and boldness at this state-of-the-art stadium. We are confident that the various elements of our program will engage adult fans and help to create a true boxing experience for them in the weeks leading up to the event and during the fight itself.”

To give fans at home an opportunity to be a part of the boxing experience, Tecate and Top Rank are offering a $20 mail-in rebate coupon for the HBO PPV event with the purchase of a 12-pack or larger of Tecate or Tecate Light. This offer will be valid in select states across the country, where legal.

As part of its support of “The Event,” Tecate’s multi-tiered program will be visible in more than 8,000 grocery and convenience stores with promotional materials featuring images of Pacquiao and Clottey, as well as fight details. Additionally, the cerveza brand will tailor its radio spots two weeks leading up to the event to help spread enthusiasm among Hispanic adults for the World Welterweight Championship bout.

Always looking to turn boxing events into memorable experiences for consumers 21 and older, Tecate also will launch regional grassroots promotions in select grocery stores across the Western region, at which fans will have the chance to participate in a meet-and-greet with their favorite fighters and take photos with the Chicas Tecate brand ambassadors.

During the weekend of the fight, Tecate also will provide eligible adult fans in Dallas with the opportunity to win seat upgrades and participate in various games and promotions hosted by the Chicas Tecate.

Mollo Headlines "Windy City Fight Night 9"

CHICAGO, IL (February 24, 2010) Chicagoland fan favorite, heavyweight Mike Mollo headlines “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 9”, an outstanding evening of professional boxing, on Friday, March 26th at the UIC Pavilion, it was announced today by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING. Advance tickets for “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 9”, starting at $31 are available through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com), the UIC Pavilion Box Office (312-413-5740) and the 8 Count Productions’ Office (312-226-5800).

Fighting out of Oak Lawn , Illinois , the 30 year old Mollo, 19-3-0 (12KO’s), is known for his crushing, knockout power in both hands. In his last Chicago area bout, he destroyed fellow contender Art Binkowski with a brutal second round stoppage on October 13, 2007 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates .

Mollo followed up the knockout of Binkowski with two high profile heavyweight challenges, losing close, hard fought decisions to Jameel McCline and Andrew Golota in 2008.

In another huge win for Mollo, he stopped Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin McBride at the Allstate Arena on October 7, 2006.

Also featured at “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 9” will be local cruiserweight contender Jason Robinson. A native of Maywood, Illinois, the 34 year veteran southpaw sporting a record of 17-5-0 (11KO’s), is making a comeback following a two and half year absence from the ring.

In his last bout, Robinson stopped fellow veteran Terry Porter in the fifth round on September 7, 2007 in Cicero , Illinois .

The undercard of “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 9” features an outstanding lineup of Chicagoland’s finest prospects.

Returning to heavyweight action at the UIC Pavilion, David Latoria will look to stay unbeaten, starting his professional career with a record of 4-0-0 (2KO’s). Already a fan favorite in Chicago, Latoria always brings a large and vocal crowd with him during his fights.

Junior welterweight Adrian Granados of Berwyn , Illinois , will also see action in a four round bout at “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 9”. The 20 year old rising star brings a record of 3-1-0 (2KO’s) into the March 26th bout.

Super bantamweight prospect Sergio Cristobal makes a quick return to action following his action packed four round decision over cross-town rival Sergio Montes de Oca on January 29th at the UIC Pavilion. The win evened the 23 year old Chicago native’s record to 1-1-0.

Also on the undercard of outstanding prospects at “WINDY CITY FIGHT NIGHT 9” is 19 year old featherweight prospect Willie Hernandez. The Chicagoan sports a record of 2-0-0.

Additionally, Chicago based welterweight Efi Perez will make his pro debut in a four round bout.

Additional information on these bouts will be announced shortly.

Doors on the evening of the event will open at 7pm with the first bell at 8pm. The UIC Pavilion is located at 525 S. Racine , just one block south of the Eisenhower Expressway. For further information, please visit their website at www.uicpavilion.com. The UIC Pavilion is now serving alcohol at all boxing events.

8 Count Productions, HOME OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO BOXING, was started by Dominic Pesoli in 1998 and has consistently presented the highest quality professional boxing events in Chicagoland. In 2003, Pesoli along with former featherweight contender Mike Garcia, opened JABB Boxing Gym, a 6,000 square foot venue dedicated to the finest Chicagoland boxers of all talent levels.

For more information on 8 Count Productions and JABB Boxing Gym, please visit www.8countproductions.com and www.jabbboxing.com.

Green To Defend In Perth

Initially scheduled to take place at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green's next title defense against Manny Siaca (22-6 19KOs) will now take place in his hometown of Perth at Challenge Stadium on April 18. The change was made after the Western Australian Government announced it would provide support and backing for the event.

In addition, the Government also hopes to land a potential rematch between Green and Anthony Mundine, who Green lost to via unanimous decision in 2006.

March 27 Title Doubleheader Lands In Vegas?

It appears the March 27 title doubleheader featuring interim WBA junior welterweight champ Marcos Maidana defending against Victory Cayo and a rematch between Joan Guzman and Ali Funeka for the vacant IBF lightweight title will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. A formal announcement is expected soon.

Also, undefeated hard hitting middleweight Daniel "The Golden Child" Jacobs (18-0 15KOs) is expected to see action on the undercard. Daniels has been inactive since his ten round unanimous decision over Ishe Smith on 8/22/09 in Houston, TX.

Smith Responds To Dodson

British super-middleweight champion Paul Smith has branded bitter city rival Tony Dodson a "clown" as tension rises ahead of their big March 12 clash. Dodson has repeatedly bad-mouthed former friend and sparring partner Smith. But now the 27-year-old champion has fired back, claiming that Dodson is running scared. Smith made his comments as he did a photo-call at the Echo Wheel of Liverpool this morning. "He's just a clown, he's got to shout his mouth off to boost his own confidence," said Smith, who makes the first defence of his belt at the Echo Arena live on Sky Sports 1. Tony could talk the hind leg off a donkey if he wanted to, but as the old saying goes, it's the emptiest vessels that make the most noise.

"He said he would smash Carl Froch, he said he would smash Tony Quigley and now he is saying he's going to smash me.

"But the truth is that he has got a bad confidence problem and always has done. He's got to talk up his chances because he doesn't believe in himself, and he knows that I know that.

"That combined with his chin means there is only one winner in this fight and that's me.

"I've never been so disrespected by a fighter, but it only acts as motivation.

"Dodson has been constantly running me down, but he was the one who started it, saying on radio that I wasn't good enough to fight him.

"I went on the same show and said that I would beat him and Tony Quigley on the same night, which I still believe would happen. I've beaten Quigley, now it's Dodson's turn.

"I've had a quite training camp, but whenever I've gone out in Liverpool I've had people coming up to me saying 'Just shut that lippy bastard up'."

This is the second fight in succession where Smith has been involved in a local derby after beating Quigley on points to lift his Lonsdale belt.

But he says he is relishing the all-scouse rivalry.

"I didn't really have much of a problem with Quigley, but this one is more personal," he said.

"Fighting someone from your own city puts a bit more pressure on you to perform, but everyone in Liverpool is buzzing at the moment and I can't wait for the first bell."

Hillyard Fighting For His Son

George Hillyard is trying to win the Prizefighter Light-Middleweights (Friday, 26 February) so he can continuing paying for treatment for his partially blind son.

The Canning Town boxer admits his ring career has suffered due to family matters but sees winning the Prizefighter at the York Hall in Bethnal Green as the perfect way to establish himself as a serious contender for British and Commonwealth titles.

Hillyard, 25, had to pull out of boxing in the Prizefighter Welterweight tournament in October 2008 after failing to make the weight and was stopped by Matthew Thirlwall in his last fight in May.

But Hillyard is highly motivated to do well in Prizefighter with £32,000 on offer if he can win each of his three, three-round bouts in the eight-man competition on one night.

He said: “I’ve had some personal problems which have not helped my boxing and it was a factor in me not making the weight for the last Prizefighter I was in.

“My little boy Oscar was born blind and it has been difficult for me and my partner Karly to cope with it all because he needs a lot of treatment.

“He was born with cataracts on the eye and is still partially blind. We have to go to Great Ormond Street Hospital with him a lot and it’s costing us £600 a month in travel from Essex.

“I was taking fights at short notice to pay for it all and it didn’t do my boxing career any good but obviously I had to do it.

“If I win the Prizefighter I will spend it all on getting the treatment for my little boy Oscar. It has been hard for me and my family but we are coming through it.

“He had an operation only last week and he’s got another one on March 29th so hopefully it will improve. If I win this I can give him more opportunities and if we need anything I can pay for it to get it done.”

The fourth round defeat to Thirlwall ended a four-fight winning streak for Hillyard, who has won five of his nine fights by stoppage. Hillyard was out of the ring for nearly a year before he fought Thirlwall.

The draw was made live on Sky Sports' Friday Fight Night, which will screen next Friday's sold-out event live from the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London.

PrizeFighter Light-Middleweights

Quarter-Finals

George Hillyard v Prince Arron
Neil Sinclair v Bradley Pryce
Brett Flournoy v Danny Butler
Steve O'Meara v Martin Concepcion

Semi-Finals

Hillyard/Arron v Sinclair/Pryce
Flournoy/Butler v O'Meara/Concepcion

Followed by Final

Prizefighter Light-Middleweights takes place at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London on Friday, February 26. The full line-up is Prince Arron (Droylsden, Manchester), Danny Butler (Bristol), Martin Concepcion (Leicester), Brett Flournoy (Birkenhead, Merseyside), George Hillyard (Canning Town), Steve O'Meara (West Drayton, Middlesex), Bradley Pryce (Newbridge, Wales) and Neil Sinclair (Belfast)

Due to increased demand, tickets for Prizefighter Light-Middleweights have sold out. But you can still see all the action live on Sky Sports HD from 8pm next Friday.

Odds to win Prizefighter (as on Friday, February 19 with SkyBet)

5/2 Bradley Pryce
7/2 Prince Arron, Neil Sinclair
5/1 Danny Butler
7/1 Steve O’Meara
12/1 Martin Concepcion
16/1 Brett Flournoy
25/1 George Hillyard

"Fight Night Club" Returns This Thursday

Boxing fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of Golden Boy Promotions and AEG's "Fight Night Club" series and on Thursday, February 25, the wait is over as the 2010 season kicks off at L.A. LIVE's Club Nokia with not only junior welterweight contender Victor Ortiz, but also three of "Fight Night Clubs" first season's brightest stars, Charles Huerta, Luis Ramos Jr. and Carlos Molina.

In featherweight action, Paramount, California's Huerta takes on veteran Guadalupe De Leon in the co-main event. The televised opening bout will see Santa Ana, California's undefeated lightweight Luis Ramos Jr. face his toughest test to date in Colombia's Walter Estrada and undefeated junior welterweight Carlos Molina from Norwalk, California will face Hensley Strachan.

In the main event of this season's first show, exciting top junior welterweight contender "Vicious" Victor Ortiz returns to fight in front of his Southern California fans in a ten round bout against ultra-tough Hector Alatorre of Tulare, California.

In a TV swing bout, junior welterweight unbeatens collide when Las Vegas' Jessie Vargas takes on San Antonio's Robert Luna.

The February 25 edition of "Fight Night Club" features eight bouts and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and AEG and sponsored by DeWalt Tools, Budweiser and Vitamin Water. The series will return to Club Nokia on March 25, April 29, May 27, June 24, July 29, August 26, September 30, October 28 and November 18. Doors will open at 6 pm and the first bell rings at 7 pm.

Tickets are almost sold out with only General Admission seats available for $19.75 (Floor Standing Room & Balcony Seats) for purchase by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or through any Ticketmaster outlet or the STAPLES Center box office. Group tickets and full series tickets at a discounted rate are also available by calling 1-877-AEG TICKETS (1-877-234-8425).

A 23-year old native of Paramount, California, featherweight Charles Huerta (12-1, 6 KO's) is a three-fight veteran of the "Fight Night Club" series. A talented boxer-puncher, Huerta is coming off of a six-round decision win over Rodrigo Aranda last September and is looking to put another win on his record on February 25. Standing in his way is Weslaco, Texas' Guadalupe De Leon (8-9, 4 KO's), a hard-nosed battler who is coming off an upset victory last December over previously unbeaten prospect Derrick Wilson. Now he's looking to spoil Huerta's stellar record as well.

Already 13-0 as a professional, 21-year-old Luis Ramos Jr. (13-0, 7 KO's) has been unstoppable since his professional debut in 2007. Fresh off of a 2009 that saw him win four times - with three at Club Nokia - the Santa Ana southpaw is back to fight in front of his ever-growing local fan base this February. Aiming to the spoil the homecoming is vastly more experienced veteran Colombian southpaw Walter Estrada (35-11, 24 KO's). An 11-year pro, Estrada has been in with world champions Yuriorkis Gamboa, Scott Harrison and Vicente Mosquera, and is thinking upset on February 25.

One of Las Vegas' top up-and-comers, junior welterweight Jessie Vargas (8-0, 3 KO's) looks to keep his perfect record intact in a six-round bout against fellow unbeaten prospect Robert Luna (5-0, 3 KO's). In 2009, the 20-year-old Vargas upped his level of competition and passed all his tests with flying colors. He decisioned Rickey Kinney in his first fight of 2010 on January 29, but he will be put to the test once again by San Antonio's Luna. A hard-hitting Texan, 'The Nighthawk' is on a two-fight knockout streak and hoping to make it three against Vargas.

But that's not all, as the hits keep on coming on this hard-hitting undercard.

Unbeaten LA-area favorite Carlos Molina (10-0, 6 KO's) of Norwalk, California is back in action on February 25 and after victories over Ever Luis Perez and Antony Nelson in his first two appearances at Club Nokia, the junior welterweight will return to the venue in search of his 11th victory against the Bahamas' Hensley "The Bruiser" Strachan (5-5-1, 1 KO).

24-year old Philly phenom Karl Dargan (6-0, 2 KO's) had a successful homecoming on December 2 when he defeated Samuel Santana on the undercard of Hopkins-Ornelas in Philadelphia, but now he's back on the road and looking forward to his second "Fight Night Club" appearance against seasoned competitor Jose Alfredo Lugo (10-12-1, 6 KO's) of Los Mochis, Mexico.

In a junior featherweight bout scheduled for six rounds, Khabir Suleymanov (9-0, 4 KO's) of Los Angeles squares off against Mexico's Manuel Galaviz (3-2). Suleymanov, a native of Chelyabinsk, Russia, roared back from two knockdowns in his most recent bout at Club Nokia against Hugo Ramos to stop his foe in the fourth round, so you can expect more fireworks from this always-exciting competitor.

Opening up the 2010 season of "Fight Night Club" will be a four round junior featherweight contest pitting Oxnard's own Ricky Lopez (6-0, 2 KO's) against Palm Springs' Hugo Ramos (2-4-2, 1 KO).

"Fight Night Club," is Golden Boy Promotions' and AEG's critically acclaimed live monthly boxing series, that presents boxing in a night club atmosphere, with a DJ, music, great food and a VIP room, as well as a unique setup where the ring is on Club Nokia's stage with standing room for fans in front of the ring, as well as reserved seating in the balcony. After the boxing action ends, fans are invited to stay to hear great music played by LA's hottest DJ's, dance and mingle with the fighters as the venue converts back into a night club.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.fightnightclub.com follow Golden Boy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.

Butler Inspired By The Fighting Spirit Of His Brothers

Danny Butler is being inspired to win the Prizefighter Light-Middleweights this Friday by the fighting spirit of his brothers, who are serving with the Army in Afghanistan. Butler, who backs the Help for Heroes charity, has two brothers – Adam and Martin – serving in the Army and says he will give the charity a portion of the £32,000 winning prize if he triumphs in the tenth Prizefighter competition at the York Hall in Bethnal Green. The Bristol boxer, who is stepping down a division for his second Prizefighter, says he wants to win the knockout competition for brother Adam, who is currently serving in Afghanistan.

He said: “If I win Prizefighter I will donate some of the money to Help for Heroes, which is a great charity which I support.

“I’ve got two brothers who have been out in Afghanistan.

One of them, Martin, has only recently got back and the other, Adam, is still out there.

“It makes me want to do it even more that Adam is out there, I want to win it for him.

“They are the real heroes, not me. Two of my four brothers have served in Afghanistan and that’s totally different to boxing, which is a dangerous sport but they have got people trying to kill them.

“When I get nervous before a fight I just think what they have to go through, which is much worse. Thinking of them gives me inspiration.”

Butler, 22, had a busy 2009, boxing five times and challenging for British, Commonwealth and English middleweight titles. The Bristol boxer has dropped down a division for his second Prizefighter, having reached the semi-final of Prizefighter Middleweights in November 2008. Butler lost a split points decision to eventual winner Martin Murray after an excellent bout, but he feels the experience of boxing in a previous Prizefighter will give him an edge tonight.

He said: “I know the format and how to box it because I was in the middleweight one and the will only help me.

“I’ve experienced the waiting in between fights, sharing the same dressing room as your opponents. They are little things but I’ve got the experience of them and it will give me a bit of an edge. I did well last time; the fight against Martin Murray could have gone either way and he went on to win the Prizefighter Middleweights.”

Defeat to Murray ended Butler’s unbeaten start to his pro career but he quickly regrouped and last March out-pointed Plymouth’s Carl Drake 98-93 over ten rounds to win the Western Area middleweight title. He picked up the British Masters belt for another ten round decision, this time 98-94 over Paul Samuels, in July.

But Butler’s last two fights have been title defeats. The Bristol boxer first challenged Dudley’s Darren McDermott for the English title in November. McDermott was cut early on but managed to floor Butler in the fifth with a right uppercut. The knockdown proved decisive as McDermott triumphed by 96-95 on the referee’s ten round points score.

Despite the defeat, Butler found himself challenging Darren Barker for the vacant British and Commonwealth middleweight titles two weeks later. He stepped in as a replacement for Wayne Elcock just days before the bout. Barker, however, was too much for Butler, who was stopped in the seventh.

He added: “I gained a lot of experience from those two fights.”

The draw was made live on Sky Sports’ Friday Fight Night, which will screen next Friday’s sold-out event live from the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London.

Edwards Targeting Edwards

PAUL EDWARDS is targeting a crack at his name sake, Commonwealth flyweight champion Chris Edwards this summer. The Liverpool scrapper (6-0) moves up in class again when he tackles Abmerk Shindjuu (7-3-2) at Leigh Indoor Sports Centre on Friday March 19. The Namibian narrowly lost on points to Chris in a vacant Commonwealth title fight last week and will test Paul's title credentials in their non-title eight rounder Paul, 23, showed he was the real deal last month defeating former British super-flyweight champion Andy Bell.

Promoter Frank Maloney said: "Paul is getting better and better and comes from a top stable with quality trainers like George Vaughan.

"He showed against Bell just how fearless he is and if he wins this I will push for him to challenge Chris Edwards despite his relative inexperience."

Britain's eight stone division is the most exciting it has been for years with with Maloney also promoting domestic champion Shinny Bayaar and unbeaten Ashley Sexton.

Oldham based Mongolian Bayaar (14-4-1) took the British title from Chris Edwards last year and could make his first defence against Sexton this summer

Bayaar, 32, is unbeaten in four years and boxes a non-title eight rounder on the Leigh undercard which is being televised live on Sky Sports.

Maloney said: "Shinny is a class act and there could be a great series of battles between himself, Ashley and Paul over the next couple of years."

In an exciting top of the bill battle on the Leigh card Belfast's Martin Lindsay (15-0) risks his British featherweight title against in-form Welshman Jamie Arthur (16-2).

Other stars on the bill include Olympic bronze medallist David Price, Mark Moran, Karl Place, Rick Goddins and Kieran Farrell.

Tickets for are available for £35 and £80 ringside from 0871 226 1508 or www.frankmaloney.com

Video & Pics: Training Day - Casey "The Wizard" Ramos

Undefeated prospect Casey "The Wizard" Ramos (10-0 4KOs) is currently preparing for his upcoming bout on April 2 at Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth, TX. Ramos will headline the card presented by Paulie Ayala Productions against an opponent TBA. R&D Boxing Blog recently had the privelage to see Ramos in action during a recent training session at the A.B. Cantu Pro Am Boxing Gym in Austin, TX. Below are video and pictures from the training session.

Photos: David Sanchez II / R&D Boxing Blog

For a full gallery, click here.








For a full gallery, click here.

Gamboa Opponent Named

When WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (17-0 15KOs) returns to Germany next month, he will be defending his title against Jonathan Victor Barros (28-0-1 16KOs). Barros is currently ranked #7 by the WBA.

The bout will mark the third defense for Gamboa, who most recently scored a second round TKO over Rogers Mtagwa on 1/23/10 in New York, and will take place at Sporthalle in Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany. Gamboa is no stranger to Germany as five of his first six bouts as a prize fighter took place in Germany.

Jack Culcay Returns April 24

The boxing fans in Hamburg will see another German boxing talent in action. Alongside the title defence of the "Killer Queen" the former Amateur world champion Jack Culcay returns to the ring at the "Universum Champions Night" on April 24 at the Sporthalle Hamburg. It will be the thrid pro fight for Jack Culcay (2-0, 1 KOs) against an opponent to be named. In his last fight in January he scored a first round knockout victory against the Lithuanian Dmitrijus Sidorovicius.

Super Welterweight Jack Culcay: „I'm really excited about this fight in Hamburg as I have made it my temporary hometown when I'm preparing for my fights. The first few months here were great.“

Headlining the boxing event will be the triple world champion Susi Kentikian (26-0, 16 KOs). On April 24 the flyweight sensation will be in the center of attention when she returns to the ring in front of her hometown fans. The unbeaten „Killer Queen“ from Hamburg will be facing the also unbeaten challenger Nadia Raoui (11-0-1, 3 KOs) who is also a world champion as she helds the WIBA belt. The battle for the WBA, WIBF and WBO flyweight belts will be Kentikians first fight as the headlining fighter on ZDF. Susi Kentikian received an honourable awards by the city of Hamburg (the so called Sports Oscar) and was named "Fighter of the year 2009" by the boxing magazine Boxsport.

ZDF will televise the fight between Kentikian vs. Raoui live from 11:30 pm. Additional fights will be announced within the next days.

Tickets for the „Universum Champions Night“ on April 24th 2010 at the Sporthalle Hamburg are available at:Universum Ticket Hotline: +49-40-696 559 59CTS-Eventim Hotline: +49-1805-57 00 00

Zbik Looking Forward To Spada Rematch

Two "Universum Champions Nights“ in in one month. Just one week before the event on April 24 in Hamburg another spectacular boxing show will be staged. On April 17 in Magdeburg Universum in cooperation with SES-Boxing will present a world championship twinbill featuring two German fighters.

In the headlining event WBC Interim world champion Sebastian Zbik (28-0, 10 KOs) and Domenico Spada (30-2, 15 KOs) will meet in a highly anticipated rematch. Middleweight Zbik claimed the Interim title in July 2009 at the Nürburgring race track with a razor thin decision over the 29 year old Italian Spada. Sebastian Zbik stated about his first fght as the headliner: „I’m very happy that I’ll once again get a chance. In the last fight against Spada I wasn’t at full strength due to a ruptured eardrum. Now I can set the record straight – and I will!“

Also scheduled in Magdeburg is a all German battle for the WBO super middleweigt title. The reigning World champion Robert Stieglitz (37-2, 23 KOs) defends against undefeated Eduard “Eddy” Gutknecht (18-0, 7 KOs). Gutknecht scored an unexpective win over former world champion Karoly Balzsay last December in Sölden. Curently rated WBO # 2 the 27 year old now have his biggest chance so far. Trained by Magomed Schaburow Gutknecht commented: „I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a lifetime. Now I will knuckle down.“ Stieglitz, who is based in Magdeburg, said respectively about Gutknecht: „He has very strong stamina. But that’s me too, so it should be a competitive and exciting fight.“ The last all German battly was 15 months ago in Oberhausen when Felix Sturm defeated Sebastian Sylvester by unanimous decision.

Additional fights will be announced shortly. ZDF will televise the world title fight Zbik vs. Spada live from 11:15pm.

Tickets are availbale at:
www.ticketonline.de or www.ticketdome.de
Tickethotline: +49 1805/007117

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